


interlude

by moonlight_fairytale



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff, Gen, otherwise known as, set after steampunk museum, valkyrie’s not as sophisticated as they’d like you to think, valkyrie’s shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:35:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24749962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonlight_fairytale/pseuds/moonlight_fairytale
Summary: “That’s it? You’re serious with me?” Shu almost face-palmed. “That silly, little thing?”“Yes, I mean...!” He thought of a way to explain it properly to Shu. “It’s the sort of thing that makes ya feel like, ahh, I can die happily now, yanno?”“Ah, I think I understand. I would also be able to die happy if you were to concentrate and learn our routine...”
Kudos: 27





	interlude

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly suck at titles,,, but, anyways, I had way too much fun writing it.

Two weeks for the next live meant Valkyrie, and especially Mika, must be practicing every single free moment. Yet, it wasn’t the case, for some reason unbeknownst to Shu. 

“Kagehira, did I happen to change the program for you to stand and stare dumbly into the air, and forgot about the change?” Shu said harshly. As usual, he wasn’t holding his tongue. 

“Nooo.” Mika, the same as always, didn’t have a good response. 

“Focus, then! We’ve been doing the same routine for the last month, it shouldn’t be that difficult!”

“Sorry, Oshi-san, will do.”

He waited for Shu to replay the song once again, but no sound came from the speakers. “Uhh, Oshi-san?”

“I know this look. You have something on your mind and it’s bothering you so much, you cannot concentrate, right?”

“Yer right, Oshi-san, but it’s nothin’ important.”

“No, no, out with it.” Shu said. “Most of the things that worry your little brain are simple to solve, so let’s save the precious time for our training.”

It wasn’t like he was _wrong_ , per se. This problem had everything to do with Shu, actually, and therefore very solvable by him. 

“Nnah, it’s really nothin’...”

“Kagehira, don’t make me wait.”

“Uhh, ‘kay!” He tried to organize his head in an attempt to say what was making him distracted. “Ya remember the live we had in the museum? With 2wink?”

“Yes, Kagehira. You may be shortening my life span, but I’ve yet to become that senile that I wouldn’t remember events from this year.”

“Well, uh, so ya probably also remember about how ya said yer totally able to carry me on yer shoulders?” He shuffled awkwardly. Saying it out loud made it sound surreal, even though Shu was the one to offer it in the first place. 

“That’s it? You’re serious with me?” Shu almost face-palmed. “That silly, little thing?”

“Yes, I mean...!” He thought of a way to explain it properly to Shu. “It’s the sort of thing that makes ya feel like, ahh, I can die happily now, yanno?”

“Ah, I think I understand. I would also be able to die happy if you were to concentrate and learn our routine...”

“Oshi-san!” Mika whined, and in a surprisingly swift movement, took Shu’s arm as a hostage. 

“No, Kagehira, we’re in the middle of a practice — “ It was futile to deny Mika of his wishes when he made his pleading puppy face. Shu must’ve grown too soft for it to affect him if he honestly considered it. It shouldn’t be that bad because, while working on Mika’s weight problem, he was still fairly thin. “I can’t fathom why you would want such a thing, but fine. If that’ll help you, we shall do it. Now, quickly, so we’ll be able to return to training before our reservation runs out. “

Despite saying so, Shu realized it was easier said than done. Even with the weight factor being eliminated from the equation, Mika was only a few centimeters shorter, and he wasn’t entirely sure how they should go about it. 

They simply stood in front of each other, staring at the other, until Mika cleared his throat. “I think it’s better if ya crouch or somethin’.”

“Right...” Shu slowly turned around, then kneeled on the floor. “Go on, Kagehira.”

He figured it was much less awkward if they don’t have to look at each other, and that was certainly a good idea. 

Mika swallowed, slightly panicking internally because he couldn’t believe it was really happening. He stepped forward and placed his legs over Shu’s shoulders, one at a time. He debated on whether he should hold onto Shu, but he could only do so by touching his head, which felt like crossing a line. “Oshi-san, please stand up slowly, ‘kay?”

Before standing up, Shu grabbed his calves and after securing them, he rose slowly as he was instructed. 

Being up in the air was very exciting for Mika — right on Oshi-san’s shoulders! — it made him feel all bubbly inside. Like a little child getting excited by the smallest things, but he didn’t care how he looked. He only cherished the feeling of being able to see the ceiling far closer than he ever imagined he’d see. 

Unfortunately, it only lasted for a couple of seconds, which afterward Shu lost his balance and caused the two of them to fall. Mika only noticed that when he realized both of them were on the floor and felt a sharp pain in his lower back. Fortunately, it wasn’t his head the got hit, but realizing how _both_ of them fell made him jump to Shu’s side. 

“O-oshi san?!” He panicked, afraid that he hurt him. “A-are ya okay?”

“Don’t cause such a commotion!” Although Shu said it, he was rubbing his right shoulder with a pained expression. “It seems like I...miscalculated the power that it takes for one to carry someone else on his shoulders...”

“Did ya get hurt anywhere else?” God, this was terrible. Mika actually got his Oshi-san hurt because he was acting like a child and...

“Stop it, failure, I can practically see the thoughts running in your head. I’m fine, just a slight pain in my behinds, but it’s mostly my pride that got hurt.”

“But...but, shouldn’t ya go to the infirmary? I could carry ya —“

“Oh no, we won’t do this mistake again. If _I_ can’t carry you then you surely can’t carry me.”

Fair enough, he was right. That didn’t change the fact that Mika felt miserable though. 

“Come now, leave that aside and let me examine you. I’ll be damned if you got injured just because I granted that stupid whim.” Shu inched closer. “Where does it hurt?”

“Uhh, it’s just my back...”

“Then take your shirt off.”

Mika obeyed without a need for another word. He took his button-up shirt off, then the black long-sleeved shirt underneath. Holding both of them in his hands, he turned his back to Shu to check. 

“It doesn’t look like it’s too bad. Do you feel any pain if I press my hand against it?”

“A little bit...” Mika admitted. 

“A little bit? Ugh, it’s impossible to know with you, with your high tolerance of pain. For all we know, you might've broken a bone.”

“But my head didn’t get hurt!” And even if it did, Mika was sure his skull was thick enough to endure it. 

“I suppose it’s something. I’ll have to schedule a visit to the doctor, regardless. Just to check you’re in a state to appear on stage — don’t make that face, Kagehira! I know you don’t like doctors, but you can’t talk me out of it this time.”

“Buuut, Oshi-san...!” He whined, absolutely terrified by the idea of some stranger scrutinizing him. 

“Stop that disgraceful behavior, you’re not a child!” Shu paused for a moment. “Besides, as the person who’s in charge of your well-being, I promised your parents I will take care of you, so I must take responsibility for this accident.”

It was odd to hear Shu talk about his parents instead of reminding him that a master must care for his doll, like he normally would do. It threw Mika off and he wasn’t sure if he’d liked that, because he did grow to like the idea of being owned by Oshi-san rather than belong to his parents (which he wasn’t anyway, and never felt like he would).

Before he could answer, a few knocks interrupted him. Out of instinct, he pulled the black shirt over his head. 

“Uh, sorry to disturb you.” They heard Kiryuu saying before opening the door. “I kinda needed a favor, Itsuki...” He started entering the room, but stopped dead in his tracks. “Did I...interrupt or something? I mean, why are you on the floor?”

“Don’t...just don’t ask.” Shu said quickly. “So we may retain the little dignity we still have. Kagehira, I’m going to the infirmity to get ice packs, don’t go anywhere.” 

He stood up as gracefully as he could, and passed Kiryuu on his way out, with a notable wobble in his walk. 

“What the hell were you two doing?”

“Nnah...A terrible mistake.” Mika was still stuck on the previous conversation. Going to the doctor was almost as bad as going to the dentist. “I asked Oshi-san to carry me on his shoulders and we fell down...”

“Wait, hold on. Let me get it straight, you asked _Itsuki_ , out of all people to carry you on his shoulders?” Mika didn’t know if he should be offended by the smirk forming on Kiryuu’s face. Shouldn’t he be more worried about them, or Shu, at the very least?

“Ya, ya, I dunno why I asked for this stupid thin’.”

“Sorry, it’s pretty so funny to think that not only you ask it, Itsuki actually agreed.”

“Is not funny!”

“Hey, I didn’t mean it that way. It’s just that Itsuki must really care for you if he was willing to do it, right?”

“And that was super dumb, 'cause now we both got hurt...” Mika moaned into his palms, already forming a plan of his life after he’d throw himself out of Valkyrie. 

“Oh, that’s right. How do you feel? I’ll have to check on Itsuki too, and hopefully, you can still perform at the next live.” 

Just the horror of canceling the live made his stomach churn. This live’s themes were perfect for Valkyrie, thus making Shu surprisingly excited to it. Having Kiryuu here made him think about how Akatsuki had a sword for their performance, and while he wasn’t entirely sure if it was real, the idea of committing seppuku sounded very tempting right now. 

“Ah, don’t make that face...You look like you’re okay, so we could go and check if Itsuki is fine, and if something looks suspicious, we both can handle it together. Itsuki can’t resist two people, right?” More like Itsuki can’t resist Kiryuu, or anybody else for that matter. That man was a monster in Mika’s eyes. 

“Yeah, yer right, we should do it...”

“Alright, to the infirmary then. And, if you want, I could totally carry you there, might be a good exercise too.”

“Ahh, nah, no thanks.” Mika’s face paled and he offered a weak smile. “I think I had ‘nough of that for a while...”


End file.
